Coaxial cable is characterized by having an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and an insulator therebetween. At the end of the coaxial cable, a connector is attached to allow for mechanical and electrical coupling of the coaxial cable.
Connectors for coaxial cables have been used throughout the coaxial cable industry for a number of years. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,533 (Rauwolf) describes a connector for coaxial cables having hollow inner conductors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,636 (Vaccaro et al.) describes a connector for coaxial cables having helically corrugated outer conductors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,470 (Doles) describes a connector for coaxial cables having hollow and helically corrugated inner conductors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,451 (Juds et al.) describes a connector for coaxial cables having annularly corrugated outer conductors and plain cylindrical inner conductors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,895 (Van Dyke) describes a connector for cables having helically corrugated outer conductors and hollow, helically corrugated inner conductors.
Traditionally, annularly corrugated coaxial cables are prepared for fitting a connector assembly thereto. In order to prepare the cable for the connector, it is necessary to cut through the cable, often with a hacksaw. It is important that when an installer cuts through the cable that the cut is made very straight and in precisely the correct location in order to maximize the return loss performance of the completed cable/connector assembly combination.
However, when installing connectors to cables it is difficult to achieve the proper registration of the saw guide with the rounded apex of an annularly corrugated outer conductor. It is also difficult to get the saw guide to hold itself in place so that the installer has both hands free to hold and cut the cable.
Various types of tools and saw guides have been used in the past to assist in achieving a straight, precise cut. Prior art saw guides include simple washers that register against one of the connector components. However, washers will not hold themselves in place on the cable. Clamps have also been used as saw guides. The clamps secure one of the connector components in place on the cable so that the component itself becomes the saw guide. However, this often results in damage to the connector component.
In addition, there are prior art molded saw guides that press fit onto, or are threadedly connected to, one of the connector components to secure the saw guide in place on the cable. One such prior art saw guide is illustrated in FIG. 1. There, the saw guide 1 is threaded to the front end of the rear body member 3 of a connector assembly. The saw guide 1 holds a spring ring 2 in place on the rear body member 3. The spring ring 2 rests in one of the valleys of a corrugated cable (not shown). The cable is then cut adjacent to the flat face of the saw guide 1. Next, the front body member (not shown) is fastened to the rear body member 3.
However, with the advent of the One Piece Connector from Andrew Corporation (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/271,390, filed Mar. 19, 1999), none of the above described prior art saw guides will work because there are no separate connector components on which to fasten a saw guide to assist in properly registering the saw guide with the cable.
Therefore, there is a need for a new type of saw guide that is capable of registering itself with respect to the cable and holding itself in place without the assistance of any connector components. There is also a need for a saw guide that can be manufactured at low cost so the saw guide can be essentially a one time use disposable tool.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing, the above mentioned difficulties.